The Irish Farmers' Association was accused of "incredible hypocrisy" by an environmental group last night after its members prevented a load of imported pork entering a Kilkenny factory. The IFA-organised protest took place at the premises of Callan Bacon, at Callan, Co Kilkenny, when a French-registered container lorry carrying pork products was prevented from entering the plant. The protest was to highlight the growing level of pigmeat imports. Last night Mr Joe Murray, a spokesman for BEAG, a Longford-based group which opposed the development of a 22,000-unit pig-breeding station between Longford and Edgeworthstown, said he was astonished at the action of the IFA members. "The IFA were extremely vocal when Welsh farmers stopped their product getting into that country and now they have turned around and done the same thing themselves," he said.
"The IFA had been the leading advocates of the open market until the first time it has gone against them and they have reacted by blocking produce coming in," he said.
"The pig farmers of Ireland should be ashamed to put their heads over the parapets at all remembering the damage they have already done to the Irish environment, especially the water quality," he said.
Following the protest, Mr Liam Ryan, chairman of the IFA pigs and pigmeat committee, said the growing level of pigmeat imports and the lack of commitment from secondary processors to Irish product were undermining and threatening the future of Irish pig farmers.
He said the sector provided employment for up to 12,000 people and it was a substantial contributor to the national economy.
Greater efforts should be made by processors of native pigmeat to take on and displace imported product.
He said secondary processors who imported had to be encouraged to show greater loyalty to the native product, which was of a very high standard and could compete with the best on the market.
"The import problem for pigmeat must be tackled. Imports must be reduced and replaced by native product. This objective can be achieved if primary Irish processors take on the imports, secondary Irish processors use Irish product and consumers ask for Irish pigmeat products," said Mr Ryan, who also said Irish pigmeat prices were at their lowest for 25 years.